Flooding in Portage from the Wisconsin River grows more threatening as the levee there has begun to deteriorate.
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A string of recent thunder storms caused some flooding from the river late last week. The floods remained minor, though, thanks to the 14-mile levee system (comprised of built-up dikes of sand along the banks) holding it back.
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Today, however, engineers from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources inspected the levee and reported that water is beginning to leak through at certain points. Greg Matthews, a spokesman for the Wisconsin DNR, said that some of the levee could begin to collapse.
The river was reported to be at 20.59 feet at 6 a.m. this morning, the highest level at which it has ever been recorded.
Evacuations seem so far to have been limited to certain areas of the Town of Caledonia, just west of Portage.
According to National Weather Service hydrologist Bryan Hahn, the river’s level is expected to remain steady through Tuesday and then begin to lower.
Members of the Columbia County, Wis., Dive Team, from left, Donald Hehl, Thorne W. Wittstruck and Stuart Fryck, stand ready to offer assistance to people stranded in flood areas in the wake of the Wisconsin River levee's potential breach, Sunday, Sept. 26, 2010, in Portage, Wis. The Caledonia levee along the Wisconsin River later failed, flooding the access road leading to a park area and cutting off any residents who did not heed daylong warnings to evacuate. (AP Photo/Portage Daily Register, Lyn Jerde)
Authorities are monitoring multiple areas along the Wisconsin river for further flooding. The heavy rains from last week have been causing floods throughout the state, as well as in various parts of Minnesota.
Written with The Associated Press
